Refrigerated display case having top access compartments



C. F. MOORES REFRIGERATED DISPLAY CASE HAVING'TOP ACCESS COMPARTMENTS 2 sheets-'sheet 1 Filed Dec: 6. 1943 @rrr/co- Maa/*fis Oct-7, 1947. c, F, MQORE, 2,428,717

REFRIGERATED DISPLAY CASE HAVING TO? ACCESS COMPARTMENTS Filed Dec. 6, 1943 2 sheets-sheet 2 f, 7 F/G .4. 9

Patented Oct. 7, 1947 REFRIGERATED DISPLAY CASE HAVING TOP ACCESS C Charles F. Moorea-Philadelphia,

MPARTMENTS Pa., assignor, by

mesne assignments, to Freshmaster Corporation, Newark, N. J., a corporation ofNewJersey Application December 6, 1943, Serial No. 513,202 n 'I'his invention relates to an improvement in device for maintaining goods affected by changes in temperature and humidity.

Y The device is adapted forvarious uses and, for example, may be used for the display of various goods for sale.

More particularly, the device according to this invention is adapted for the display `of candies, cigars, and the like, products which require a controlled conditioned atmosphere for the preservation of their original condition while on display for longer or shorter periods, and In such connection this invention will be described in detail for illustrative purposes.

Heretofore it has been well known that certain goods, as candies, tobacco products, and the like, deteriorate rapidly, as by loss of freshness, discoloration, loss of form, and the like, With changes in the temperature and/or humidity of the atmosphere to which they are exposed.

Thus, for example, candies, and especially` chocolate coated candies, are known to deteriorate rapidly when on display during the summer months, due to the relatively high atmospheric temperature which exists in stores, and the like, where they are on display for sale to the public.

Various efforts have been made to control the conditions under` which perishable goods are displayed, but heretofore no satisfactory solution of the problem of, at once, conveniently displaying the goods for ready sale to the public and maintaining them in original condition, despite the existence of temperatures under which they deteriorate, has been found.

Now in accordance with this invention there is provided a display device in which candies or other perishable goods may be displayed indefinitely in a manner such that they may be readily taken by customers and, at the same time, under temperature and humidity conditions controlled to those best suited for maintaining the goods in their original condition.

Having now indicated, in a general Way, the nature and purpose of this invention, I will proceed to a detailed description of a preferred embodiment thereof with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

Figure 1 is a vertical sectional view of a display ydevice embodying this invention.

Figure 2 is a sectional view on line 2 2, Figure Figure 3 is a, top view of the'device shown in vertical section in Figure 1.

Figure 4 is a sectional view on line 4-4, Figure 2 Claims. (CL' (i2-89.5)

the condition of various terior of box I4', as through In the several gures, variously, I indicates a cabinet, the walls of which are insulated provided with legs or feet 2, 2, enabling it to be stood on the oor of, for example, a store;

The top of the cabinet is formed by av seriesof bins 3, in stepped relation. The side wallsr of thel bins 3 are formed by extensions of the side walls of the cabinet and the front walls 4 of the bins are imperforate and may be formed of any desired material. However, they are formed preferably by sheets of glass ory other transparent material. The back walls 5 of the bins 3 are provided with a series of perforations 6, may b e formed of any suitable material and are preferably formed of a non-transparent material as wood, metal, or other non-transparent material."

The bottoms or floors of the bins will each have a row of perforations 'l adjacent to the front Walls 4. y

It Will, of course, be appreciated that the number of the bins 3 is in no way essential to this invention. Thus, there may beionly one bin or two or more.

rBeneath the bins 3 and forming a chamber 9.. is a horizontal partition 8, with which the sev-v eral apertures 6 in the back walls 5 of the bins,v

communicate, itv being noted that the rear wall of the cabinet is recessed to form a duct I0, through which the apertures 6 in the back wall 5 of the upper or rear bin communicate with the chamber 9. f

In the bottom of the chamber within a box II y is a compressor I2, for a refrigerant, coupled to an electric motor I3 for its operation. Mounted on the box II and within'a box I4 is a boiler I5 connected to receive liquid refrigerant from'the compressor I2, through heat interchange, to eff e fect reduction of the temperature within the boxl I4 and connected for the return of vaporized refrigerant to the compressor.'

As will be appreciated, the compressor I2,

driven by the motor I3, and the boiler I5, with `necessary accessories, constitute a refrigerating apparatus of any usual type.

Connected to receive cooled air from the inan aperture in a wall of the box I4, is a fan I6, tric motor Il and connected, through a duct I8, to discharge cool air into chamber 9.

Beneath the rows of perforations toms or oors of the bins 3, extend ducts I8 with which the perforations 'l communicate, it being noted that the wall of the chamber is recessed to form the ducts I9.

'The ducts I9 are respectively connected at one end with downwardly extending ducts I 3 formed driven by an elec@y 'I in the bot? in a. side wall of the cabinet and discharginginto the box I4 containing the boiler I5.

The interior of the cabinet I, not taken up by the boxes I I and I4, as the space 20, may be used for storage, it being noted that the walls of the box II may be insulated so as not to conduct heat from the compressor, while the Walls of the box I4 may be conductive in order to effect cooling of the storage space. The cabinet will be provided with suitable doors giving access to the space 20 and for placing and removal of the compressor unit, and with suitable ventilation for the boiler and compressor unit.

In the operation of the device described above, assume that candy is to be displayed for sale in the bins 3, the refrigerating apparatus is started up with the result that the air in box I4 is cooled. Cool air drawn from box I4 is discharged by the fan I6 into chamber 9 through duct I8 and since the delivery of the fan is in excess of the escape from chamber 9 through the perforations 6 in the back walls of the bins 3, a positive pressure is built up in chamber 9.

The cool air in chamber 9 is at sulcient pressure so that it passes through the perforations 6 in the back walls 5 of the bins in streams dlrected across the bins and which commingle and implnge on the yfront walls 4. At the same time, air is drawn, by the fan, from the front of the bins down through the apertures 1 in their bottoms and into box I4 through the ducts I9, I9'.

Thus, it being noted that the streams of air issuing through the apertures 6 in the back walls 5 of the bins commingle to a substantial extent in their passage to their front walls and that air is withdrawn from the bottoms of the bins adjacent their front walls, it will be. seen that the area of the interior of the bins is filled with cooled air, constantly changing and in circulation through the chamber I4 containing the boiler I5 of the refrigerating apparatus.

By virtue of the downdraft on the bins 3 there is little escape of cooled air through their open tops and, by virtue of the lateral direction of the air across the bins from back to front, the interior thereof and. any goods displayed therin are constantly swept by the cool air.

As will be obvious. any desired condition of temperature can be maintained in the bins by regulation of the amount of cooled air circulated through the bins by the speed and capacity of the fan I6 and regulation ofthe cooling effect from the boiler I5, in the usual manner, asby means of any suitable thermostatic device placed in the bins 3, in the chamber 9, or in box 4.

Where the humidity in bins 3 is to be controlled, such may be readily accomplished by providing a humidifying device, as a Water spray, placed in chamber 9, or, if dehumidiflcation is desired, the air in box I4 may be cooled to a point below the dew point of air at the moisture content desired and the air subsequently heated, if necessary, to bring it to the desired temperature, by a heating element placed in chamber` 9.

As will be obvious, goods'displayed in the bins 3 are readily observable for selection through the open tops of the bins and through the front walls 4, if they be made of transparent material. Equally, the goods may be readily picked up by customers and removed through the open tops of thebins.

If desired, for the preservation of goods requiring a higher temperature than that of the surrounding atmosphere, heated air may be supplied to the bins by substituting a heating device for the boiler I5, or heating the air in chamber 9 by a suitable heating element.

It will be appreciated that the above detailed description of an embodiment of this invention is for illustrative purposes only and is not to be taken as limiting upon the scope of this invention or upon the scope of the claims appended hereto.

What I claim and desire to protect by Letters Patent is:

1. A display device comprising a cabinet having its top formed by a series of open bins in stepped formation, the bins respectively having opposite side walls and front and back walls, a series of perforations in the back Walls of the bins directed toward the front walls, a series of perforations in the bottoms of the bins adjacent to the front walls, a chamber inthe cabinet below the bins in communication with the perforation in the back walls-of the bins, a second chamber in the cabinet, a cooling device in said second chamber, ducts affording communication between said perforations in the bottoms of the bins and said second chamber and a fan arranged to draw air from said second chamber and discharge it into said rst mentioned chamber under a positive pressure therein.

2. A display device comprising a cabinet having its top formed by a series of open bins in stepped formation, the bins respectively having opposite imperforate side walls and front and back walls, the front walls being transparent and imperforate, a series of perforations in the back walls of the bins directed toward the front walls, a series of perforations in the bottoms of the bins adjacent to the front walls, a chamber in the cabinet below the bins in communication with the perforations in the back walls of the bins, a second chamber in the cabinet, a cooling device in said second chamber, ducts affording comw REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,778,141 Birdsong Oct. 14, 1930 2,050,063 Millott Aug. 4, 1936 Wolf Nov. 19, 1940 1 

